Islamic Hospitality: The Art of Welcoming Guests
I still remember stepping into a Doha living room and being offered a full meal before I could sit down. That single moment—food on the table, time unhurried, and a stranger's smile—made me start asking why hospitality felt so different across the Muslim world. This piece is my attempt to trace that difference: not as an academic exercise, but as a set of lived impressions and a few scriptural signposts. 1) A Guest at My Table: First Impressions I began by noting the video’s introduction, which features the words of the Prophet Muhammad, upon whom be peace, as recorded in Bukhari and Muslim: “Whoever believes in God and the Last Day, let him honor his neighbor. Whoever believes in God and the Last Day, let him honor his guest. Whoever believes in God and the Last Day, let him speak good, or else remain silent.” Welcoming guests in Doha: food first, and...